Intern Aware

Intern Aware is the United Kingdom national campaign for fair internships , founded in 2010. Working closely with companies, businesses and trade unions, they want to help employers develop high quality internship schemes with recruitment based on merit, and payment that complies with Employment law . They also work to ensure they receive the pay they are potentially entitled to by law.

They believe that unpaid internships are exploitative, exclusive and unfair. By asking people to work without pay, employers exclude those with talent, ambition and drive who can not afford to work for free. They campaign for the best jobs. They argue that paying interns a fair wage can ensure that this happens.

Policies

Much of Intern ‘s Aware’ s Focus on the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 .

Main proposal

• (Excluding existing exemptions) the UK Government should designate a worker under the meaning of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act.

Other proposals

“Naming and shaming” of the NMW Act;

Third parties should be able to complain about non-enforcement of the NMW;

Advertisements for illegal work should be monitored;

Better support and guidance to vulnerable workers;

Raise penalties for non-payment of the NMW

A new paid internship scheme for the third sector .

History

The organization started as a Facebook group named “Interns Must Be Paid The Minimum Wage”. [1] It has led campaigns focused on the non-payment of parliamentary interns. [2] [3] [4] It aussi campaigned During the Labor Party ‘s leadership election, Securing the backing of all five candidates [5] [6] and Persuading Andy Burnham MP to demand que la BBC end unpaid work experience. [7] The campaign has also drawn attention to the connection between increased graduate unemployment and unpaid interns. [8] [9] [10]